the wars of the jews-第113章

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eat　Plain；　it　reaches　from　the　village　Ginnabris；　as　far　as　the　lake　Asphaltitis；　its　length　is　two　hundred　and　thirty　furlongs；　and　its　breadth　a　hundred　and　twenty；　and　it　is　divided　in　the　midst　by　Jordan。　It　hath　two　lakes　in　it；　that　of　Asphaltitis；　and　that　of　Tiberias；　whose　natures　are　　　opposite　to　each　other；　for　the　former　is　salt　and　unfruitful；　but　that　of　Tiberias　is　sweet　and　fruitful。　This　plain　is　much　burnt　up　in　summer　time；　and；　by　reason　of　the　extraordinary　heat；　contains　a　very　unwholesome　air；　it　is　all　destitute　of　water　excepting　the　river　Jordan；　which　water　of　Jordan　is　the　occasion　why　those　plantations　of　palm　trees　that　are　near　its　banks　are　more　flourishing；　and　much　more　fruitful；　as　are　those　that　are　remote　from　it　not　so　flourishing；　or　fruitful。　　　　3。　Notwithstanding　which；　there　is　a　fountain　by　Jericho；　that　runs　plentifully；　and　is　very　fit　for　watering　the　ground；　it　arises　near　the　old　city；　which　Joshua；　the　son　of　Naue；　the　general　of　the　Hebrews；　took　the　first　of　all　the　cities　of　the　land　of　Canaan；　by　right　of　war。　The　report　is；　that　this　fountain；　at　the　beginning；　caused　not　only　the　blasting　of　the　earth　and　the　trees；　but　of　the　children　born　of　women；　and　that　it　was　entirely　of　a　sickly　and　corruptive　nature　to　all　things　whatsoever；　but　that　it　was　made　gentle；　and　very　wholesome　and　fruitful；　by　the　prophet　Elisha。　This　prophet　was　familiar　with　Elijah；　and　was　his　successor；　who；　when　he　once　was　the　guest　of　the　people　at　Jericho；　and　the　men　of　the　place　had　treated　him　very　kindly；　he　both　made　them　amends　as　well　as　the　country；　by　a　lasting　favor；　for　he　went　out　of　the　city　to　this　fountain；　and　threw　into　the　current　an　earthen　vessel　full　of　salt；　after　which　he　stretched　out　his　righteous　hand　unto　heaven；　and；　pouring　out　a　mild　drink…offering；　he　made　this　supplication；　That　the　current　might　be　mollified；　and　that　the　veins　of　fresh　water　might　be　opened；　that　God　also　would　bring　into　the　place　a　more　　　temperate　and　fertile　air　for　the　current；　and　would　bestow　upon　the　people　of　that　country　plenty　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth；　and　a　succession　of　children；　and　that　this　prolific　water　might　never　fail　them；　while　they　continued　to　he　　　righteous。　To　these　prayers　Elisha　（14）　joined　proper　　　operations　of　his　hands；　after　a　skillful　manner；　and　changed　the　fountain；　and　that　water；　which　had　been　the　occasion　of　barrenness　and　famine　before；　from　that　time　did　supply　a　numerous　posterity；　and　afforded　great　abundance　to　the　　　country。　Accordingly；　the　power　of　it　is　so　great　in　watering　the　ground；　that　if　it　do　but　once　touch　a　country；　it　affords　a　sweeter　nourishment　than　other　waters　do；　when　they　lie　so　long　upon　them；　till　they　are　satiated　with　them。　For　which　reason；　the　advantage　gained　from　other　waters；　when　they　flow　in　great　plenty；　is　but　small；　while　that　of　this　water　is　great　when　it　flows　even　in　little　quantities。　Accordingly；　it　waters　a　larger　space　of　ground　than　any　other　waters　do；　and　passes　along　a　plain　of　seventy　furlongs　long；　and　twenty　broad；　wherein　it　affords　nourishment　to　those　most　excellent　gardens　that　are　thick　set　with　trees。　There　are　in　it　many　sorts　of　palm　trees　that　are　watered　by　it；　different　from　each　other　in　taste　and　name；　the　better　sort　of　them；　when　they　are　pressed；　yield　an　excellent　kind　of　honey；　not　much　　　inferior　in　sweetness　to　other　honey。　This　country　withal　produces　honey　from　bees；　it　also　bears　that　balsam　which　is　the　most　precious　of　all　the　fruits　in　that　place；　cypress　trees　also；　and　those　that　bear　myrobalanum；　so　that　he　who　　　should　pronounce　this　place　to　be　divine　would　not　be　　　mistaken；　wherein　is　such　plenty　of　trees　produced　as　are　very　rare；　and　of　the　must　excellent　sort。　And　indeed；　if　we　speak　of　those　other　fruits；　it　will　not　be　easy　to　light　on　any　climate　in　the　habitable　earth　that　can　well　be　compared　to　it；　what　is　here　sown　comes　up　in　such　clusters；　the　cause　of　which　seems　to　me　to　be　the　warmth　of　the　air；　and　the　fertility　of　the　waters；　the　warmth　calling　forth　the　sprouts；　and　making　them　spread；　and　the　moisture　making　every　one　of　them　take　root　firmly；　and　supplying　that　virtue　which　it　stands　in　need　of　in　summer　time。　Now　this　country　is　then　so　sadly　burnt　up；　that　nobody　cares　to　come　at　it；　and　if　the　water　be　drawn　up　before　sun…rising；　and　after　that　exposed　to　the　air；　it　becomes　exceeding　cold；　and　becomes　of　a　　　nature　quite　contrary　to　the　ambient　air；　as　in　winter　again　it　becomes　warm；　and　if　you　go　into　it；　it　appears　very　gentle。　The　ambient　air　is　here　also　of　so　good　a　temperature；　that　the　people　of　the　country　are　clothed　in　linen…only；　even　when　snow　covers　the　rest　of　Judea。　This　place　is　one　　　hundred　and　fifty　furlongs　from　Jerusalem；　and　sixty　from　Jordan。　The　country；　as　far　as　Jerusalem；　is　desert　and　stony；　but　that　as　far　as　Jordan　and　the　lake　Asphaltitis　lies　lower　indeed；　though　it　be　equally　desert　and　barren。　But　so　much　shall　suffice　to　have　said　about　Jericho；　and　of　the　great　happiness　of　its　situation。　　　　　　4。　The　nature　of　the　lake　Asphaltitis　is　also　worth　describing。　It　is；　as　I　have　said　already；　bitter　and　unfruitful。　It　is　so　light　＇or　thick＇　that　it　bears　up　the　heaviest　things　that　are　thrown　into　it；　nor　is　it　easy　for　any　one　to　make　things　sink　therein　to　the　bottom；　if　he　had　a　mind　so　to　do。　Accordingly；　when　Vespasian　went　to　see　it；　he　commanded　that　some　who　　　could　not　swim　should　have　their　hands　tied　behind　them；　and　be　thrown　into　the　deep；　when　it　so　happened　that　they　all　swam　as　if　a　wind　had　forced　them　upwards。　Moreover；　the　change　of　the　color　of　this　lake　is　wonderful；　for　it　changes　its　appearance　thrice　every　day；　and　as　the　rays　of　the　sun　fall　differently　upon　it；　the　light　is　variously　reflected。　However；　it　casts　up　black　clods　of　bitumen　in　many　parts　of　it；　these　swim　at　the　top　of　the　water；　and　resemble　both　in　shape　and　bigness　headless　bulls；　and　when　the　laborers　that　belong　to　the　lake　come　to　it；　and　catch　hold　of　it　as　it　hangs　together；　they　draw　it　into　their　ships；　but　when　the　ship　is　full；　it　is　not　easy　to　cut　off　the　rest；　for　it　is　so　tenacious　as　to　make　the　ship　hang　upon　its　clods　till　they　set　it　loose　with　the　menstrual　blood　of　women；　and　with　urine；　to　which　　　alone　it　yields。　This　bitumen　is　not　only　useful　for　the　caulking　of　ships；　but　for　the　cure　of　men's　bodies；　　　accordingly；　it　is　mixed　in　a　great　many　medicines。　The　length　of　this　lake　is　five　hundred　and　eighty　furlongs；　where　it　is　extended　as　far　as　Zoar　in　Arabia；　and　its　breadth　is　a　　　hundred　and　fifty。　The　country　of　Sodom　borders　upon　it。　It　was　of　old　a　most　happy　land；　both　for　the　fruits　it　bore　and　the　riches　of　its　cities；　although　it　be　now　all　burnt　up。　It　is　related　how；　for　the　impiety　of　its　inhabitants；　it　was　burnt　by　lightning；　in　consequence　of　which　there　are　still　the　　　remainders　of　that　Divine　fire；　and　the　traces　＇or　shadows＇　of　the　five　cities　are　still　to　be　seen；　as　well　as　the　ashes　growing　in　their　fruits；　which　fruits　have　a　color　as　if　they　were　fit　to　be　eaten；　but　if　you　pluck　them　with　your　hands；　they　dissolve　into　smoke　and　ashes。　And　thus　what　is　related　of　this　land　o